A True Heart's Beat
by thelinksthatconnectus
Summary: Dexter should have been a bit more specific when he signed his love poem to Raven with "D. Charming", because now his sister Darling is going to the True Hearts Day Dance with Raven! Darling/Raven, one-sided Dexter/Raven, and Dexter/Hopper


**I know not much is known about Darling since she's rarely mentioned in the books (and unheard of in the cartoon), so I based my interpretation of her off of my own headcanons.**

Whether Cupid realized it or not, she had changed Ever After High forever. No matter what Headmaster Grimm tried to do, Dexter knew that things were never going to be the same again.

So this is what taking life into your own hands feels like, Dexter thought, watching Raven and Maddie turn around a hall corner and begin to walk towards Raven's locker. He had to keep himself from racing forward. Only a few more moments and Raven's going to see the poem that I wrote for her.

This was certainly not a royal kind of thing to do. Royals followed the story, spoke every word from a pre-written script. This? Most royals would never even dream of doing it.

And maybe I'm not really a royal, Dexter thought. Maybe I'm more than what other people think that I am.

His heart beat a little harder in his chest for a moment, and a cold feeling settled in his shoulders and stomach.

So that's it, huh? Dexter thought. I'm a rebel now?

His eyes turned back towards Raven. Even with the whole school, from its controlling faculty to gossip loving students, watching her every move, she held herself with confidence and always treated everyone, royal or rebel, with respect.

If she can do it, Dexter thought, a small smile forming on his lips, then I think that I can too.

Raven squinted, slowing her pace. "What's that on my locker?"

"Hopefully something Wonderland-iful," Maddie replied with a grin.

Dexter bit his lip, his eyes never leaving Raven. She pulled the paper from her locker and opened it.

"What does it say?" Maddie asked, standing on her tip toes and leaning over Raven's shoulder.

Raven's cheeks flushed red. "Well, it looks like it's a love poem."

Maddie's eyes widened. "Oh, Raven, congratulations! That's absolutely hat-tastic! Congratulations!"

Raven smiled. "I know." She looked back down to the card, her eyes scanning it.

"Oh, who was the amazing, absolutely fantastical person who sent it to you, Raven?"

"D. Charming," Raven replied. "Wait, D. Charming?"

"Were you hoping to get a poem from C. Charming instead?" Maddie giggled.

"D. Charming," Raven repeated.

Come on, Dexter thought. Say it - say my name.

Raven closed the card.

* * *

Darling turned around the corner. The strap that held her sword to her back was digging into her side. She was so close to being late to Heroics 101 class that it wasn't even funny. Her messy blond hair flew around her, having long since freed itself from her pathetic excuse for a bun.

Of course you had to wake up late again, Darling thought. Your alarm had to stop working.

It didn't help that all these cheesy decorations had been set up around school, showing off hearts and varying shades of red and pink. If it were designed to make finding her way around the school's vast halls harder, then she wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

Just keep going, she thought. You'll get to class in no time.

She turned the corner, running past a group of lockers.

Almost there, she thought. You can still make it to class on time.

"Darling?"

Darling nearly tripped, but just barely stopped herself from falling. Once her legs were stable, she froze.

"Darling?" repeated the voice.

"Raven?" Darling turned. Despite recognizing the voice, her eyes still widened when she saw the other girl.

"Darling," Raven said again, her voice rising, She held a card in her hand and was looking at Darling with wide eyes. Beside her was her friend, another rebel.

"Yes?"

Part of her wanted to pull out her sword. Swords made things happen, made questions get answered. The other half of her, however, won, and she straightened her back and smiled. "Raven, what is it?"

She hardly knew the other girl, not the way that her brothers did. Royal-rebel drama was hardly her forte; she had enough problems already. Considering she wasn't holding an apple or chanting a spell, Darling didn't have any reason to question the other girl's intent.

Raven fluttered her eyes and smiled. She stepped closer to her. "Oh, you surely already know." She smiled. "I had no idea that you thought about me that way, but I'm flattered. Your poem means a lot to me."

"My, uh, what?"

Raven held the card in her hands up and turned it to where Darling could see it.

"I had no idea that you had such a way with words," Raven said.

Me neither, Darling thought.

Raven pulled the card back. "If I had known before..." She paused. "Oh, how could I? Cupid's really stirred things up today. Everything's different."

You're right, Darling thought. I hadn't seen those decorations before today.

"And though I never would have imagined doing this before, I'm going to do it now." Raven took in a deep breath. "Darling, would you like to go to the not so secret True Hearts Day dance with me? I heard that it's going to be wicked."

"As wicked as you?" Darling replied.

Raven giggled. "Maybe. So, what do you say?"

"Do you say yes?" Maddie asked. "Please tell me you say yes! Oh please, please, please!"

Again, Darling was faced with two different roads to take. That always seemed to happen in fairy tales, where heroes had to make important decisions that changed everything. This, however, was not a fairy tale (at least not yet, no matter what Headmaster Grimm said).

On the one hand, all the poems that she had written before had instantly been thrown into the trash. She also hardly knew Raven Queen.

And yet she couldn't help but return the other girl's smile or shake away the warmth slowly spreading throughout her entire body. Raven always talked about taking chances and not letting others decide what someone should do with their lives.

"I would love to go with you, Raven."

"Yes!" Maddie threw her hands into the air and jumped into the air. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Raven grinned. "That's great. See you there at seven, okay?"

"Okay," Darling replied. "I'll be counting down the time."

She was late to class that day, but for once she didn't care. No matter how much her teacher complained and lectured her, she couldn't shake away the warm feeling that had enveloped her ever since she had talked with Raven. She felt light as a bird and just as free. At any moment she felt as if she could take to the sky and fly towards an uncertain, but exciting, future.

* * *

Dexter's eyes were as wide as saucers. It had been hours since he had watched Raven walk over and pick up her card from her locker, and it still felt as if though it had only been moments before. All throughout his classes, he had only half listened to what the teachers said, the events playing and replaying in his head.

That had been his big chance, the moment that he had been waiting for forever.

And Darling, his sister of all people, was the one that got the credit for it.

* * *

"So how do I look?" Raven asked. She twirled in front of both Maddie and her mirror. Her dress, though in her usual shades of black and purple, was lighter than most of her regular dresses and the skirt slightly shorter. Her hair flew as she twirled; at that moment, she felt more like a free-spirited fairy tale maiden than any monstrous, malicious queen.

"Wonderland-iful," Maddie replied. "I just know that Darling is going to think that you're stunning." She giggled. "Not that she doesn't already."

Raven blushed.

"Oh, you know that she does." Maddie sighed. "Ah, love, what a beautiful thing. No wonder Cupid wanted everyone to celebrate True Hearts Day." As usual, in her normal (yet completely odd) way, Maddie pulled a hot cup of tea from seemingly out of nowhere and began to drink it. "And my heart truly belongs to this yummy tea! Mmm, mmm!"

Raven looked back at herself in the mirror. Though she looked mostly the same as always, she could not help but smile at herself.

Darling thinks I'm beautiful, Raven thought. Darling Charming of all people.

She didn't know the girl the way that she knew Daring or Dexter, but that didn't mean that she hadn't noticed the other girl. It was hard not to, especially when she was busy working hard in the Grimmnasium or swordfighting with her brother in the Castle-Teria.

Things really are changing, Raven thought.

"It's nearly time to go," Raven said. She had been thinking about Darling all day, and all but watched the clock all day waiting for class to end so that she could get ready for the dance.

"Oh, I should get ready too." Maddie dropped her tea to the floor. Before it could hit the ground and shatter, leaving a large coffee stain on Apple's side of her and Raven's shared room, it vanished into thin air as if it had never been there in the first place. "I have the most wonderland-iful dress to wear. Tonight is going to be a night that we never forget!"

How could I? Raven thought. She looked back to the mirror. When she focused harder, she could really see changes in herself. Her smile was wider than it normally was and her hands at her hips. Call me wicked all you want, Apple, but tonight I feel as if I'm filled with everything good in the world.

If this was what Headmaster Grimm considered a threat, then he really needed to check over his priorities.

If she could, Raven would have happily felt like this forever after.

* * *

Darling had never been one to care about her clothes. Considering dragons tended to not care about what she was wearing, she tended to not mind if her hair was messy or clothes stained. There were dragons to fight, princesses to save, and towers to climb.

At least that's how it was back then.

Now I've got Raven to think about, Darling thought. She looked over herself in her small mirror, the only one she had. She could have borrowed one (of many) from her brother Daring, but that night she wanted to be alone. Her brothers just wouldn't understand this.

Darling smiled at herself. She could already picture her mother smiling at her and saying that she looked beautiful.

Maybe Raven will say the same, Darling thought, adjusting the sleeves of her suit.

* * *

Dexter leaned against the wall, staring at the party ahead of him. Ever since its start, it had been going fast. Everyone was dancing with everyone, save him.

And no one will, Dexter thought, staring down at his cup of fruit juice. He had yet to drink it and doubted that he ever would.

Raven and Darling still had yet to arrive, though it probably had more to do with the fact that the True Hearts Day party had started early than anything.

They should be here soon though, Dexter thought. His stomach tightened. He had avoided his sister all day, and even had steered clear of Raven as well. Just thinking about her made him want to hide in his room and pretend that things had been normal that day, that there was no ancient holiday about true hearts.

Especially because his true heart was broken.

"Aren't you having any fun?" Cupid asked. She was dancing in time to the music even as she flew over to him, her feet only a few inches above the ground.

"I'm just a little tired," Dexter said. "It's messing with my partying mood."

As if he'd ever had one at all.

"Ah, that stinks," Cupid said. "Sorry, buddy."

"Oh no, it's not your fault. This party is pretty cool, and I'm glad that you and Briar threw it."

She beamed. "Thanks! I'm definitely doing this again next year."

Great, Dexter thought. Now I have another year to worry about.

It was only then that his eyes locked on two girls entering the party. Raven was dressed in black and purple; though they were hardly the brightest colors, Dexter's eyes immediately locked on them. Standing beside her and holding her hand was none other than his sister. Darling still had her sword and shield with her, though he doubted she would actually need it that day; it was most likely with her due to force of habit. She was dressed in a white suit with gold trim, somewhat similar to Daring's, though it was made of a silkier substance that emphasized her body's curves and muscles. And rather than wearing pants like her brother's, she was dressed in a skirt for once, one that came down just a bit past her knees.

There wasn't a year to worry about, not now.

Dexter's stomach flipped in his chest. He had known this moment was coming, and yet seeing the two there seemed like a sudden slap in the face.

* * *

Raven had never considered herself much of a dancer, but she couldn't help but dance along to the party's music that night. Darling followed along with her. They weren't performing the majestic waltzes from fairy tales, but fast paced dancing that was ever changing. Even if they weren't the best, the two kept dancing on through the night.

Raven had expected so much from that night; it was hard to believe that it had actually managed to exceed her expectations.

The song unexpectedly slowed. Darling and Raven both slowed their dancing, and moved a few feet away from each other.

"This is a pretty song, huh?" Darling asked. She smiled, showing off bright teeth that made the dimples in her cheeks stick out.

"Definitely," Raven replied.

She wasn't one hundred percent sure how it happened. One moment they were a few feet away from each other and the next Darling's lips were on Raven's own. How long the kiss had lasted, Raven couldn't be one hundred percent sure. Once Darling pulled away, Raven quickly leaned in with a kiss from her own. Just like the first kiss, it felt right in so many wonderful, unexpected ways.

Raven's heart beat fast and her body filled with warmth. Though she had been dancing for a while, she still danced along with what seemed like an endless amount of energy.

"That was," Darling said, pausing for a moment, "great."

"I think that it was even better than that!" Raven giggled. She could already imagine the gossip that would begin to fly its way around school, and for once what everyone said about her would be true. Not that she cared, of course. This feeling deep inside of her was stronger than any of the words the other students might say about her relationship with Darling Charming.

Darling's smile widened. "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

"Hey, Dexter."

Dexter gasped, nearly dropping his cup of (probably warm by then) fruit punch.

"Sorry to surprise you, bro."

"Oh, Darling," Dexter replied, giving her the best smile he could. It probably looked awful, especially judging by the way his face hurt and the way she squinted at him, but it was all that he could get his face to do.

"What's wrong with you? You look so out of this party."

"Oh, you know. I was just standing around. Parties weren't my thing, but I thought that I'd come scope it out anyway."

For a moment, her frown deepened and eyebrows narrowed.

Does she know? Dexter thought. Was he that easy to read?

"I think that you should do more."

"What?"

"You know, go out and dance. Have some fun, bro." Darling grinned. "Maybe even meet the person that your own true heart beats for." She winked.

"Huh?"

She laughed. "They're out there somewhere." She paused. "Or maybe not. Maybe you don't need anyone in that way, and that's okay too. That doesn't mean you still can't have fun." She pointed towards a group of girls. "What do you think of those girls? Anyone stick out?"

"Look, Darling-"

"Ooh, or him," Darling continued, pointing towards Hopper, who was also standing in a corner. His hands were tucked into his pocket, and he was looking across the room and yet had blank eyes.

Dexter turned bright red.

"Have fun tonight, okay?" Darling placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just promise you'll try, okay?"

Dexter paused, looking down to his shoes. The weight on his shoulder lightened. "Yeah, I promise."

When he looked up, however, his sister was gone. It took him a few moments to spot her again. She and Raven were standing by the food table, both holding bright pink cupcakes.

He looked over to Hopper. Could he really do this?

It's worth a shot, Dexter thought.

Today was supposed to be a day that changed everything, where people broke away from what others thought they might do and proved that the impossible could happen.

Plus, Hopper was kind of cute (at least when he wasn't in his frog form).

"Hey, Hopper!" Daring called, speed walking towards him. "What are you doing standing in that corner all alone? Tonight's supposed to be fun!"


End file.
